Looking at his Birl it looks like a "7" but with the forward movement performed as a very small movement very quickly (quicker than the eye!!) and then a very rapid draw back, with such speed his finger comes right back, I think the rapid draw backward gives it that machine gun like quality. it does appear that he only draws back his finger, Ive spoke to a few pipers that played with him and they all say the way he performed his Birl was a very unique to him, Interestingly, they all tell me that Gordon never "showboated" when playing with other pipers and would often let them take the lead, however on his new CD there is a very long recording of a Set from The Scottish Pipers Assoc Knockout Comp final in 1993 and he just effortlessly levels the opposition.

"God save the queen" is indeed the national anthem of the United Kingdon, however Flůir na h-Alba is played at football matches and national events, interstingly the tune cannot be played correctly on the bagpipe, well it can, but the c has to be played as a c natural which sounds awful against the drones, so pipers play the c which alters the melody compared to the singing version.